October 30th: Miami-Dade County to hold first-ever Hometown Heroes Parade

On October 30th, Miami-Dade County will host the first Hometown Heroes Parade in honor of the healthcare workers and first responders who put their lives at risk to serve and protect their community during a global pandemic. Miami-Dade was again reminded of this commitment with the recent death of Detective Cesar Echaverry, who lost his life in the line of duty. His sacrifice demonstrates for us all the level of dedication to which the county’s public servants commit when going to work every day.

“Through the past two and a half years, our community recovered from the worst pandemic in over a century,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Through the most challenging times, we were able to witness inspiring moments of resiliency, innovation, kindness, and community. The Hometown Heroes Parade will honor those who put Miami-Dade first, delivered life-saving services and supplies, and kept us safe when we were most vulnerable.”

The Hometown Heroes Parade was directed by the Board of County Commissioners and spearheaded by Prime Sponsor Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins and co-Prime Sponsor Vice Chairman Oliver Gilbert.

“Through the uncertainty, fear, and danger of the early days of the pandemic, we were comforted in the knowledge that our highly capable first responders and medical professionals were hard at work keeping us safe,” said Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins. “We owe them so much more than we can ever repay. The Hometown Heroes parade is a great start in returning to them some of that enormous debt.”

“When the world was struck with COVID-19 and the community needed them the most, our local first responders and essential workers selflessly and dutifully stepped to the frontlines,” said Vice Chairman Oliver Gilbert. “The dedication and sacrifice of our frontline workers allowed us to remain safely indoors, while they risked their health in order to maintain critical services. The Hometown Heroes Parade will be a historic event showing our unwavering support and gratitude for these courageous men and women.”

“Miami-Dade County’s first responders risk their lives every day to protect our community,” said Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz. “Their commitment and sacrifice were distinctly visible during the last two and a half years, as we dealt with a global pandemic and the disruption it brought. I’m happy to support the Hometown Heroes Parade. Let’s not forget the sacrifices these brave men and women make on our behalf every day.”

For sponsorship information, regular updates, and volunteer opportunities to honor our hometown heroes, please visit miamidade.gov/hometownheroes.

Preliminary Parade Schedule:

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Parade

The procession will take place on Biscayne Blvd. In downtown Miami, starting in front of the Intercontinental Hotel and concluding at the FTX Arena's Parcel B. The parade will include healthcare professionals, police and fire departments, elected officials, marching bands and more.

After the street parade, guests can enjoy a waterfront parade on Biscayne Bay that will celebrate healthcare workers, the U.S. Coast Guard, fire departments, and police. The waterfront parade can also be seen from Parcel B. Additional programming will include vessels with water-spraying features, Jet Ski aerialists and a Flyboard aerialist.

12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Family Fun Fest

Enjoy interactive activities and events, art displays, food trucks, live performances and more at the Family Fun Fest located at the FTX Arena’s Parcel B. The event will begin at noon and will be free and open to all.